Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard III at UFC 130 opens as a pick 'em

A third and hopefully decisive matchup between UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar (13-1-1 MMA, 8-1-1 UFC) and Gray Maynard (10-0-1 MMA, 8-0-1 UFC) has opened as a pick 'em bout.

Noted MMA oddsmaker and frequent radio guest Joey Oddessa (@MMAOdds) told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio) he's set the initial line at -115 for both fighters.

UFC president Dana White recently told MMAFighting.com the bout will be held at UFC 130, which is expected to take place May 28 in Las Vegas.

The opening line likely will be picked up by the major sportsbooks and will fluctuate as money comes in on each fighter. The fight is the third time Edgar and Maynard will meet, and Oddessa said the lines have fluctuated wildly in the first two contests.

"In 2008, Gray Maynard – after opening a modest underdog at +145 – closed as a nearly two-and-a-half-to-one (+250) underdog to Frankie Edgar in the three-round bout that Maynard won," Oddessa said. "Two years later, in Edgar's five-round title defense at UFC 125, I opened Gray Maynard a pick 'em, and all the support came in on Maynard driving the odds as high as -200 (two-to-one) in favor of Gray.

"Now for the third meeting between the two, I opened the bout a pick 'em -115 again, and the early support has been all Edgar. Edgar is currently -130 betting favorite in the trilogy fight.

"The zig-zagging and differing opinions on who should have won the second meeting between the two has been funny. I always say the money doesn't lie. As a fan of money and the truth, I think Edgar may not lose a round of the rematch, but people will still find reason to bet Maynard after they continue to watch the preview highlight shows leading up to the event."

Edgar-Maynard III wasn't the only pending rematch Oddessa pegged as a pick 'em. The oddsmaker also set the recently announced Leonard Garcia (15-6-1 MMA, 2-2 UFC) vs. Nam Phan (16-8 MMA, 0-1 UFC) II matchup as -115 each.

"In their first meeting on short notice, I hung the first number out there with Nam Phan as the favortite at -145," Oddessa said. "The whole planet piled on Garcia as though they had Sunday's paper. The line not only crossed over to Garcia as the favorite, but Garcia closed at nearly a two-to-one favorite in spite of me moving the number slowly because I felt Nam was in a better position to win.

"This time around I opened the bout a stone-cold pick 'em -115, and the money has been all on Nam Phan even with Garcia having more time this go-around to prepare. Amazing how quickly things change and how a fight can flip opinions."